PSU welcomed at Disneyland for Rose Bowl

Penn State and USC football teams were welcomed to Disneyland California Adventure for the start of Rose Bowl week.
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Penn State and USC football teams were welcomed to Disneyland California Adventure for the start of Rose Bowl week.
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ANAHEIM, Calif.

Penn State head coach James Franklin addressed outside interest in assistant coaches at the team’s Rose Bowl media day in State College on Dec. 16, but further elaborated on ongoing rumors that offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is a head-coaching candidate.

“This is what happens in college football,” Franklin said Tuesday at Disney California Adventure. “You’re going to have people that come and try to steal pieces of your organization. Joe’s done a great job for us, and he’s going to have opportunities.”

Moorhead, who accumulated a 38-13 mark as Fordham’s head coach before taking over as the Nittany Lions’ offensive coordinator this season, has been linked to several jobs.

In early December, the Pittsburgh native reportedly interviewed for the head coach opening at Purdue and would’ve been the Boilermakers’ next option if Jeff Brohm didn’t accept. He was also rumored to be in the running for Temple’s opening after State College native Matt Rhule left the Owls for Baylor.

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And as recently as Monday, Moorhead was thought to be a leading candidate at Connecticut, where he served as offensive coordinator for two seasons.

However, a report from Yahoo Sports’ Pat Forde insisted that Moorhead will stay at Penn State for the 2017 season.

Franklin said this kind of interest is well-deserved for Moorhead and expects it to continue moving forward.

“This’ll be something that we just need to get used to at Penn State. It’s going to happen every single year, and we want Joe and his staff to stay together as long as they possibly can,” Franklin said. “But there’ll come a point when our assistants can become head coaches and we want that for them and their families, as well.”

The Penn State football team is utilizing a running-back-by-committee approach during the 2019 season. The running backs led the way against Pittsburgh with over 150 rushing yards in the team’s 17-10 win over its cross-state rival.